Winter Solstice
by Noah Gabriel
Summary: Months have passed since the Izanagi incident, leading the way for startling discoveries involving Izanami. Can Hei fend off the two MI-6 agents and find the way to return Yin to normal? Read to find out. Rated for mild swearing and adult themes.
1. Schrodinger's Cat

**Author's Note: Hello! This is my first Darker than Black fic, so my apologies if I get a name or two wrong.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Darker than Black, cause if I did it would've had a happier ending with Hei and Yin.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1- Schrodinger's Cat<strong>

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><p>The sea was calm as the cruise ship La Stella sat motionlessly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. All that could be heard was the relentless banging of gunshots that filled the air, and screams of horror from the unlucky passengers on board. The deck of the cruise ship was stained red with blood that flowed down the wooden deck and dripped over the sides into the water below. Amidst the gunshots was the sound of bullets deflecting off metal as they bounced off an upright black coffin, presumably made of steel. The men firing at the coffin didn't rest even while seeing their bullets do nothing. From behind the coffin, a white-haired young man groaned quietly to himself.<p>

"Some vacation this was..." the young man grumbled and tucked a strand of pure white hair behind his ear. The young man stared at the wooden deck in front of him and scratched his hair to think. The young man continued to stare at the wooden deck with his pale blue eyes reflecting the moonlight streaming down from above. The gunfire continued on, one bullet missing the coffin and ricocheting off the railing before cutting the young man across the cheek. "Ow."

The young man rubbed the bleeding cut on his face before he put his now bloody hand down onto the deck. A faint blue flow emitted from his body before his pupils glowed a bright red color. The wood beneath his hand began to rot slowly, and the rotting spread towards where the men firing were standing. With a loud crash, the deck beneath the men gave way and they all fell to the room below. The men shouted at each other in pain until one of the lifeboats came hurdling down the hole and onto their bodies. With a final crash, all was quiet again sans the sound of water leaking through the hole in the hull the lifeboat had made.

"What a shitty cruise this was," the young man said miserably as a girl with a long braid of black hair flowing down her back approached him silently. The young man glanced down the hole in the deck while he fished out a steel monkey puzzle from his pocket. He whistled softly while his hands fiddled with the puzzle. "Time to hit the road, January."

"What road?" the girl called January asked, clearly missing the point. The young man shook his head once with a sigh, his hands still trying to solve the puzzle. A ring from the young man's pocket made his hands stop before putting the puzzle away and taking out his cellphone. He flipped the phone open with ease and placed it to his ear.

"What's up, boss?" he asked the person on the other end while January prepared the other lifeboat for their escape from the now sinking ship. As January did that, however, a man glanced around the corner, a long knife at the ready in his hand.

"December. Return to base with January immediately," the person on the other end of the call said firmly. The young man December groaned quite loudly as the man with the knife slowly started to creep up behind him.

"I thought we were on vacation, boss," December whined childishly.

"Circumstances have changed," the person on the other end said before the man with the knife started to thrust the knife tip towards December's back. Before the knife could reach his back though, December's hand grabbed the man by the face without him turning around. December tightened his hold on the man's face before letting go. The man fell to the deck in a heap, his eyes glazed over.

"Sorry, boss, you were saying?" December asked while he slipped his hand into his jean pocket.

"Izanami is still alive," the person on the other end said.

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><p>Snow covered the ground between the trees, deep in the woods of Hokkaido. The only thing that disturbed the fallen snow were the deer that trotted through the woods, foraging for food. Camouflaged among the trees was a small wooden hut, the window fogged from the fire inside. One deer that came nearby stopped to stare at the hut. The deer seemed wary of the building as it stayed perfectly still. Unfortunately for the deer, that didn't help it as a hunting knife flew out of nowhere and impaled the deer in the neck in an instant. The deer fell over onto the snow while its friends, hidden behind the trees, rushed away as fast as they could, leaving their friend behind. The dying deer's legs twitched before slowly stopping, its life over.<p>

The snow crunched underneath black boots that approached the dead deer. Gloved hands reached down and pulled the knife out of the deer's neck. The hunter sheathed his knife and heaved the deer up over his shoulder before making his way back to the hut, carefully stepping in the footprints he had already made. The hunter opened the door as much as needed for him to slip inside with the deer. The hunter glanced around outside before closing the door. Peeling off his coat and boots, the hunter dragged the deer over to a wooden stove and left it there to cook in a while.

The hunter pulled his gloves off and tossed them onto the wooden counter by the stove. He eyed the window cautiously before opening another door that led into a smaller room with a bed inside. The bed was occupied, but the hunter didn't seem to mind. He lit the lantern next to the bed, so as to cast light into the windowless room. The hunter stared at the girl in the bed with a sad look in his dead eyes. He slid an arm underneath the girl as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He lifted her up into a sitting position and wrapped his other arm around her, burying his face against her shoulder.

The lantern flickered, casting shadows across the sleeping girl's long silver hair and closed eyes. The hunter didn't lift his face from the girl's shoulder for some time. When he did, he laid her back down and pulled the blanket up to her neck. The hunter slowly stroked the girl's cheek with his hand, while his face was illuminated by the lantern. His dead eyes didn't reflected the lantern's light at all as they stayed fixed upon the girl's face. The hunter stayed like that for minutes before slowly rising to his feet and putting the lantern out. He stepped out of the room and gave a glance back at the girl in the bed.

"Yin..." Hei whispered quietly before closing the door.

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><p>The mechanized doors slid open to allow December and January into the meeting room where several people sat around a long wooden table facing the monitor on the wall across from the door. December and January sat down in the two empty seats closest to the doors. Sitting at the table with them were Kobayashi, Kirihara, August 7, and Madame Oreille. In front of the monitor stood a burly man in a high-class suit and tie.<p>

"So, Boss Tanaka, what's the 411?" December asked the man. The man Tanaka didn't address December as he pressed a button on the table that closed and locked the doors behind December. December glanced back at the doors and clicked his tongue lightly for no reason.

"First, December and January. This is Goro Kobayashi from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications-" "Formerly from," Kobayashi corrected, and Tanaka nodded briefly before continuing. "He's here with his partner Kirihara and-"

"Madame Oreille. We've met," December interrupted, making the madame smirk mysteriously. Tanaka's vein twitched from being interrupted and he sat down in front of the monitor with his back to it.

"Regardless, they're here to aid us," Tanaka said, casting a glare at December. December disregarded the glare calmly and eyed the monitor. Kobayashi looked to December and January sternly. December noticed and smiled back at Kobayashi.

"My alias is Matthew Cordovan, codename "December", Messier Code RM-841. Beside me is Priscilla Reuther, codename "January", Messier Code AX-913. A pleasure to meet you," December said politely and Kobayashi turned his attention back to Tanaka. January was silently staring at the table before her eyes moved to the moving bulge in Kirihara's bag where Mao was hidden.

"That was more than necessary, December," Tanaka remarked and didn't wait for December's response before pressing another button, causing the lights to dim. The monitor came to life and showed an enlarged photo of a crowded Tokyo street. "16 hours ago we received this photo from an agent on patrol."

"Oh yay, people," December remarked sarcastically. Tanaka motioned slightly to January who nodded and slammed her heel down on December's toes. December jerked in pain and twitched as Tanaka turned his chair to look at the monitor. He pressed a button by the monitor and a section of the photo was selected and zoomed in.

"The agent found this startling info," Tanaka stated, and December raised his head a little to see the blurry outline of a silver haired man. Tanaka turned a small knob by the monitor and the picture focused to show the man clearly. Kirihara jolted slightly and August stared at the man. Tanaka looked at their reactions and nodded grimly. "After examining the physical data on Izanami, we've determined a 97% similarity between Izanami and this man."

"I thought Izanami was a girl," December said and quickly moved his feet away before January could stomp on them, which she didn't. Tanaka looked at December and slid a folder across the table to him. December picked the folder up and opened it to look at the contents.

"Shion Pavlichenko, otherwise known as Izanagi, has the ability to create copies of objects and people. These copies are completely identical to the originals, however, Madame Oreille tells us that there's a flaw in the copies of people he creates," Tanaka explained while December leafed through the folder filled with information on Shion, including his photo.

"So, this kid created a copy of Izanami?" December asked and Tanaka frowned before nodding slowly. December closed the folder and handed it to January, but she shook her head, so he put it back on the table.

"We have no idea if this copy of Izanami possesses the same powers, but the possibility of a second Izanami is high," Kobayashi stated and August looked to Tanaka.

"Where's the agent that took this photo?" he asked and Tanaka pressed a button on the monitor to change it to a gruesome photo of a man with his head blown apart and a gun in his hand.

"The morgue. He shot himself shortly after returning," Tanaka said gravely and December leaned back in his chair.

"Well, that certainly sounds like Izanami's doing. So we're going to go hunt down this copy and kill him?" December asked and Tanaka shook his head.

"No, you and January have a different mission," Tanaka stated and the monitor changed again to a photo of inside Hell's Gate. December and January looked at the monitor in unison while Tanaka adjusted his tie. "Shortly after the Izanagi incident months ago, we sent a team into the Gate to retrieve Izanagi and Izanami's bodies. However, not only could we not find them, but only one of the members returned. He then jumped off the wall in a fit of insanity a day later. We found this photo in his headgear after his death."

"All I'm seeing is a bridge and water," December stated and January noticed the bulge in Kirihara's bag suddenly stop moving. Tanaka seemed annoyed and enlarged the photo before focusing it on the water underneath the bridge. December perked up and fell backwards onto the floor hard. Everyone at the table was silent, with the exception of December's muttered curses as he pulled himself up off the floor. On the screen was an observation spectre that was coming out of the water.

"The doll that Izanami had possessed is still alive. December, you and January are to find BK-201, who Kirihara says took the doll's body with him as he fled Tokyo, and bring the doll back here. If the doll is still alive, then it's possible it will have retained some of Izanami's powers. Find her before those powers return," Tanaka said and with that, December dusted himself off and grinned widely.

"Understood."

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><p>Hei woke with a start, grasping at the couch and his chest as cold sweat rolled down his face. His breaths were ragged as he stared at the ceiling. Hei sat up and shakingly stood up before slowly stepping towards a basin of water by the fireplace. He fell to his knees and splashed his face with the water, trying to wake up completely. Hei dried his face off with a towel from the kitchen area and looked to the door leading to Yin's room. Silently, Hei opened the door, even though Yin wouldn't wake even if he did so loudly, and he peered into the dark room. He closed his eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed to stroke the side of Yin's face. Hei opened his eyes to stare at Yin's face as the light from the fireplace barely illuminated it.<p>

Hei had woken from a nightmare, but not any nightmare. He recalled being in the core of Hell's Gate, looking around for Yin hurriedly, until he saw her facing away from him. When he had rushed over to her, Yin turned into her observation spectre and disappeared, leaving a golden human-like shape in her place. Hei rubbed his eyelids with his free hand and stood up from the bed. He fished around for a spare blanket and laid down on the floor next to the bed. Hei closed his eyes and slowly resumed sleeping as the fire in the fireplace flickered gently.


	2. Justice, Lovers, and Death

**Author's Note: Oh gosh, thank you for all the wonderful responses! Please enjoy this chapter, even though it is slightly shorter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2- Justice, Lovers, and Death<strong>

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><p>The name's Gai, Kurosawa Gai. I'm a hardcore Private Detective with a thirst for action. From corrupt politics to cheating husbands, I'm there when the big people need help. Nothing scares me, I am the elite of the elites. No job is too big for Kurosawa Gai. Not eve-<p>

"Mitsukichi, look at how soft he is!" Kiko said suddenly and pushed a cat into Gai's face.

"GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!" Gai screamed and flailed his arms to get the cat away from him while Kiko laughed.

"That's what you get for smoking without a window open again!" she said, obviously pissed at the lit cigarette on Gai's ash tray. Gai glared at his assistant angrily and jumped to his feet.

"And don't call me that name, you flat-chested squirt!"

"Keep up the sexual harassment and I'll sue, you pervert!"

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><p>The scenery flashed by as the train rode down the tracks like a bullet. The sunlight intruded into the train, making the sleeping passengers stir. In one train car, January sat across from December as she slept silently. Her eyes slowly opened and she blinked in the sunlight to see December in the same position he was in ever since boarding the train. December had his legs up against his chest as he bit his fingers nervously, his eyes wide and crazed.<p>

"Unforgivable..." he murmured repeatedly while January stretched in her seat. December paid her no heed as she put her hand into her bag and took out a deck of tarot cards. January placed the deck down on the table separating the two, and December perked up. He hurriedly reached for the deck and let out a deep sigh, his fingers gently running over the backs of the cards. January leaned back in her seat and stared at the table before speaking up.

"The visions again?" December's hands trembled slightly before he nodded once while arranging the cards on the table. January looked at the cards, whose edges were worn from continuous use. The backs of the cards had speckles of blood on them, and only December knew whose blood it was. December finished arranging the cards and leaned back in his seat. January continued to stare at the cards and then slowly poked the card closest to her. December glanced at the card she chose and rubbed his forehead to get rid of his sleepiness.

"I always get them when I'm away from the coffin," he said quietly and turned over the card January chose. He stared at it before placing it back down face-up. January looked at the card while December scratched his head. "Justice, a fitting card for a contractor," he murmured and flipped over the two cards touching January's, "and here we have The Lovers on the right and Death on the left. Hmm..."

January looked to December, who was staring at the cards intently. She didn't believe in what the cards said, and neither did December. January found it reasonable though to just go with the flow whenever it had to do with December.

"What do they mean?" January asked in a monotonous voice, as she really didn't care what they meant. December shrugged calmly and shuffled the deck back together before arranging them again.

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><p>Kirihara tapped her fingernails against the steering wheel of her car. On the passenger seat, her bag moved slightly and Mao popped his squirrel head out to look at her. Kirihara didn't take her eyes off the road as the light turned green and she pressed down on the gas pedal. Mao crawled out of her bag and sat calmly on the seat.<p>

"Searching for phantoms instead of Izanami will only get you in trouble," Mao stated, and Kirihara pursed her lips slightly before turning the wheel to go down a different street.

"Did you know Izanami was alive?" she asked and Mao shook his furry head. Kirihara cast a quick glance at the rodent contractor before slowing down at a red light. Mao looked at the light and then back at Kirihara.

"Hei won't be found so easily. There's only so few places he could go without being caught," Mao stated reassuringly. Kirihara clicked her fingernail against the wheel and looked at Mao.

"Like where? Do you know where BK-201 is now?" she asked and Mao shook his head.

"I only have a guess," he said and Kirihara pulled the car over so she could concentrate on Mao. Mao scurried into the bag so nobody saw him while Kirihara took out a book to pretend to read it.

"What's your guess?" Kirihara asked without looking away from the book. Mao poked his head of the bag with some seeds in his hands.

"Hei would go somewhere with little to no people around, as most of the world is after him. Under normal circumstances, Hei would most likely go to China, but since that's where he and Yin were caught last time, I doubt he would return so soon. Another likely spot would have been Russia, but he's wanted there, so they'll be extra careful in searching people entering the country," Mao explained and Kirihara nodded slowly as a police cruiser passed by.

"And the CIA are after him too, so he can't hide in the US either. It seems the only place he could hide is here in Japan," Kirihara said and Mao nodded before gnawing on a seed. Kirihara narrowed her eyes and closed her book with a snap. Mao perked up as she took her cellphone out and hurriedly dialed a number. Mao watched silently as Kirihara put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" a voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, I am Ichinose Yayoi from MI-6, I'd like to purchase a train ticket," Kirihara said calmly, using her alias and downright lying about the MI-6 part. Mao watched her in slight puzzlement as she waited for the person on the other end to reply.

"Would you like tickets to the same destination?" the person on the other end asked, and Kirihara paused for a second.

"Same destination?"

"Yes, just a few hours ago two people from the same company as you booked train tickets-" the person started to say calmly, and Kirihara froze in shock.

"Where are they heading?" she shouted into the phone and started the car up immediately. Mao jumped as the car suddenly started moving forward.

"U-Um, l-let me check..." the person on the other end said nervously, scared from Kirihara's shout. Mao peeked out of the bag to see Kirihara grit her teeth tightly together. She pressed down hard on the gas pedal and the car rocketed forward.

"There's only one place in Japan BK-201 could hide without being seen at all..."

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><p>December and January both perked up as the train intercom came to life and crackled.<p>

"Good morning, passengers, we'll be reaching Sapporo, Hokkaido in just a few moments. Please remember to take all luggage off the train as we are not liable for lost or stolen property. Thank you very much for riding Cassiopeia, and have a good day," the intercom said before cutting out. December grinned and slipped his tarot cards into his coat pocket before he and January stood from their seats as the train began to slow down.

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><p>Hei slowly opened his eyes and sat up from the hard floor, his back and arms sore from the restless night earlier. He glanced over to look at Yin's face and stood up. Hei stretched his arms and legs silently and with a last look back, went to the kitchen to make breakfast. As soon as the door clicked closed, underneath the blanket, Yin's finger twitched.<p>

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><p>December smiled from ear to ear as he hugged his coffin, even with people staring at him weirdly. January didn't care as she was crouched nearby, staring at a cat that was staring at her. December heaved his coffin up onto his back and looked over at January, who had stood up and kicked at the cat.<p>

"Oi, don't go hitting them just cause you don't like them," December muttered, "you'll make a scene." This was said despite all the stares December was getting for carrying around the black coffin on his back. The two walked out of the train station, and January turned before plunging feet-first into the nearby river. December smacked his palm against his face as people stared at the river in shock. January returned to the surface of the water and walked out as if she had done nothing strange. Soaking wet, January shook herself off and took a towel out of her bag. As she dried herself, the people watching slowly walked away to avoid any strange glances from January. December took the towel from January and looked at her calmly.

"He's here," January said plainly and December's hand holding the towel trembled as he grinned madly. He chuckled happily and crumpled the towel before chucking it away.

"Hide and seek is over... BK-201...!"


	3. Ophiuchus

**Author's Note: After this chapter, attention will be directed at Hei for the remainder of the story. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3- Ophiuchus<strong>

Snow had begun to descend as December and January sat under an overhang waiting for a bus to arrive. December watched the snow fall silently onto his hand, before the flakes melted on contact. December let out a low sigh, a waft escaping his mouth from the cold. As December looked to the gray sky, his eyes began to ring softly, a melody he alone could hear as January's gaze remained fixed in place at a pebble by her feet. December groaned quietly, his pale red eyes darkening.

"I'll be right back, January," he said calmly, and January nodded curtly. December slipped his coffin off his back before suddenly falling forward onto the ground in a heap. January looked to him and pulled him back up into a sitting position before closing his glazed eyes.

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><p>The sky, or what it seemed to be, was black as if the sun had set already. December gazed up at the twinkling stars above before lowering his eyes to the white flowers surrounding him. The flowers stretched on out of sight, but December wasn't interested in the flowers. He looked around until he saw a human's shape lying among the flowers nearby. Quietly, December walked towards the person lying in the flowers.<p>

"So, I'm to guess that you're the voice that's been calling out ever since I landed in Japan?" December asked rather loudly, as if not addressing the person lying in front of him. The sound of footsteps echoed behind December shortly after.

"How odd. How is it you're here?" the person behind December asked calmly. December glanced behind him to look at the tall white haired boy with cold violet eyes. A smirk played at December's lips as he turned his body towards the boy.

"Huh, so your souls are still connected. How tiresome," December said with an icy edge to his voice. The violet-eyed boy smiled calmly back at December, a faint blue glow surrounding him.

"What are you doing in my soul, contractor?" he asked, emitting blood-lust from just his stare, "surely you can't be here to speak to that doll."

"I'm not. It would be pointless to try as long as your soul is in control of this space," December stated with a sigh and then pointed a finger at the boy. "I'm here to tell you to shut up or else."

The boy, taken aback by December's threat, stared at December silently for a moment before his smile returned. The boy chuckled, and not a nice one at that. December took a quick look back at the person lying in the flowers, undisturbed by their talk. December narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at Yin's unmoving body among the flowers.

"You're a shrewd one, Izanami."

"Not as shrewd as an intruder like yourself, contractor," the boy replied coldly, his eyes glinting dangerously. December put his hands up in front of him for defense while he looked back to Izanami.

"I'm not here to fight with you. That would be utterly stupid of me, to take on a weakened Izanami," December stated, causing Izanami to twitch slightly.

"How did you... Who are you, contractor?" Izanami asked, his eyes becoming colder and harsher. December smirked, almost happily, at the question.

"You may call me December. My ability is Soul Displacement. Because of that I can intrude on a person's soul as long as they have no resistance," December stated briefly. Izanami stared at December while December made a small curtsey to him. "And I knew you were weakened because if you weren't I'd be dead right now," December added.

Izanami and December stared at each other for a few minutes it seemed before December rubbed his neck. Izanami narrowed his eyes as December fished around in his pocket for something, but never took it out. December suddenly bent over to pick one of the flowers from the ground. As he did, he gazed towards Izanami.

"Anyway, I'm here to speak with you, Izanami. I want to propose a trade," December stated and slowly crushed the flower bulb in his hand. Izanami raised an eyebrow while December tossed the ruined flower behind him.

"What sort of trade, contractor?"

"A simple trade. You give up control over this doll's soul and I'll give you valuable info about the people looking to kill you," December stated coolly, his eyes never leaving Izanami's. Izanami stared back for a moment before chuckling.

"Now why would I do that? These people you say that are looking for me are no threat to me. Even if I can't steal their souls by being near them, I can still make them kill themselves," Izanami stated and December nodded once before grinning madly. Izanami flinched at the sudden action as December started laughing.

"Ugh, I suck at laughing. But, oh my..." December muttered before looking at Izanami gleefully, "you're gonna die again if you keep thinking that way, Izanami."

"And why would that be?" Izanami asked, but December waved him off with his hand.

"Sorry, no trade, no info. If you ever change your mind, just call out to me like you have been since I landed," December said and turned away from the confused Izanami.

"I've never called out to you," he stated and December paused for a second as his eyes glanced down at Yin's body on the ground. Another smirk played at December's lips.

"Well, regardless, just give me a holler. Oh, and as a gift for not killing me, I'll tell you the name of your future assassin," December began to say, making Izanami stare at the agent's face coldly. December turned his head back towards Izanami and grinned.

"Ophiuchus."

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><p>December opened his eyes and immediately felt like he was moving. He lifted his head to see that he was on a bus with January seated beside him. January looked over to her partner and pointed to her feet to let December know his coffin was below. December nodded slowly and leaned back in the seat.<p>

"How much longer?"

"Minato said a man that looked like BK-201 came to his owner's house to rent a cabin in the woods. We'll be meeting the man at the next stop in 15 minutes," January said matter-of-fact, and December scratched at his forehead. January glanced over at December and spoke quieter. "How was it?"

December smirked and looked out the window.

"Hook, line, and sinker."

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><p>December hopped off the bus and sank into the snowdrift, rather pathetically, up to his waist. January ignored December's pleas for assistance as she fetched his coffin from underneath the bus. December grumbled into an older man came over to pull him out of the snow. December thanked the man and quickly put his coffin onto his back. The man stared at the coffin silently in horror before pointing to the two agents.<p>

"Matthew and Priscilla?" he asked, and January nodded once. The man brightened up and smiled happily. "You called a little while ago asking about your cousin Li Pavlichenko."

December tried his best not to smirk as he nodded along with January. The man offered them snowshoes and pointed towards the forest.

"The cabin I rented to Li-kun and his wife is just a little ways into the forest. Follow me and make sure not to get lost," the man said and led the two into the forest. On the way, the man spoke about how Li had come to him asking if he could rent the man's cabin for him and his wife's honeymoon. As the man spoke, December and January nodded along silently. "Li-kun is quite the excellent hunter too. Be careful not to get caught in any of his traps."

The man stopped after a few more minutes and pointed towards a group of trees that seemed to be huddled together. December leaned to the side and caught a glimpse of the cabin's window. January perked up and tugged on December's sleeve with a slight nod of her head. December caught the nod and smirked widely.

"Li-kun! Your cousins are here to see you!" the man called out cheerfully. December reached around the man's shoulder and smiled. The man looked at December in confusion until December roughly pulled the man in front of him. The man had not a single chance to wonder as a hunting knife drove deep into his skull, splattering blood onto December's coat.

"Nice to see you too, BK-201," December said calmly as Hei stepped out from behind the tree beside the cabin. January stared intently at Hei while December slid his coffin off his back and threw his bloodied coat off. "You can call me December, and the girl is January. Hand over the doll and we won't-"

December leaned to the side to avoid Hei's thrown knife, cutting off December's threat. Hei tugged on the wire connected to his knife and caught his knife before pointing it at December silently. December smirked and cracked his knuckles slowly.

"I suppose it would be silly to think you'd just give up that easily," December commented before rubbing his neck. January sat down on the coffin to give December room to move, but that made Hei's attention turn to January's for a split second. In that second, December kicked off the snow and closed the distance between Hei and him. Hei quickly evaded December's palm thrust and swung his knife towards December's head. December instinctively ducked, his foot digging into the snow before he kicked the snow up at Hei.

Hei braced himself to jump backwards until he caught the faint clink of metal and immediately knew what it was. He spun to the side, but not fast enough as a bear trap, hidden in the snow, caught his left arm. As the snow fell back to the ground, December grinned and thrusted his foot onto Hei's chest. Hei fell backwards, but quickly got back onto his feet and pulled the bear trap off his now bleeding arm. He glared at December from behind his mask as December positioned his arms into a stance that resembled one from martial arts.

"What's the matter, BK-201? I thought you were better than this. Can't you fight without your contractor powers? Or are you worried January might get by you if you slip?" December wondered, getting no reply from Hei. December readied himself to strike at Hei again, until he heard something from nearby. The sound of a trigger. The sound of something whizzing through the air came next, and January swiftly knocked December down into the snow as a grenade fell between Hei and the agents, exploding and sending snow flying everywhere. The snow covered December and January until the two broke through and gasped for air.

"The hell was..." December started to say until he noticed that Hei was gone and the cabin was on fire. December grimaced and sank back into the snow. "Our friend has friends."

January nodded and handed December his cellphone. He took it without question and flipped it open to call someone. He placed the cellphone to his ear and sighed, a joyful grin on his face.

"Hey, Boss. I need another copy of those photos you gave us of Izanami and the observation ghost. Yes, I know they were top secret. I still lost them. Fine, cut my paycheck. Ciao," December said into the receiver and snapped the cellphone closed before laughing happily. "This is perfect! I love it when puppets move the way they are told! Dance, BK-201, dance!"

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><p>Hei fell to his knees beside a tree deeper in the forest. He glanced behind him to make sure he wasn't followed. When he was certain nobody was following him, he rested against the tree trunk and put Yin down on his lap. Hei held her tightly against him while blood seeped down his injured arm. He reached into his coat pocket for some bandages until something fell out along with the bandages. Hei looked at the fallen objects and his eyes widened in shock at the photos of Izanami and the observation ghost.<p> 


	4. Return of the Tokyo Storm

**Author's Note: Finally got my internet back, so here's a longer chapter than usual. You could even call it two in one. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4A- Return of The Tokyo Storm Part 1<strong>

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><p>Kirihara and Mao arrived on the scene as several firefighters rushed around putting out the forest fire that had been sparked by the grenade. Kirihara quickly made her way around the fire till she found December and January sitting on the side of the road. January didn't away from the road as Kirihara approached them.<p>

"BK-201 has friends," December said, strangely calm as the fire roared behind them. Kirihara opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off as January spoke up.

"A woman. Left in the direction BK-201 and his doll ran off in," January stated and Kirihara looked to her in surprise. December chuckled at Kirihara's amusing face.

"January's ability is Induced Feline Sensibility. Whoever she touches acquires cat-like senses and reflexes for fifteen minutes, also giving them the ability to communicate with felines. Of course, the irony is she hates cats and has to be submerged in water as her obeisance," December said and brushed some lingering snow from his white hair. January's stare never strayed from the road as Kirihara nodded slowly. December smirked and looked over at the ex-cop. "And why have you left your mission chasing after phantoms?"

"Th-That's because-!"

"You wanted to see BK-201, the man who stole your heart," December interjected, making Kirihara's face flush bright red for a moment before she stomped her foot and shouted, "That's not it!" December's smirk vanished and he looked across the street to the non-burning trees.

"You abandoned your assigned post, and came here where BK-201 was. How do you explain that?" December asked rather icily, his red eyes turning to meet Kirihara's eyes. Kirihara paused for a second, trying to form her response under December's stare. December didn't wait for a response as he stood to his feet and scratched his head lazily. "Return to your post."

"But-!" Kirihara started to say until December's hand caught her by the throat, and his chilling glare silenced her immediately.

"Return to your post or I will kill you for treason," he said with a small squeeze to Kirihara's throat before letting go. Kirihara fell to her knees and coughed violently. December flexed his fingers and sighed as he turned away from her to sling his coffin onto his back. "You do not have the liberty to chase after BK-201. That job was given to us, not you. Now go back."

Kirihara looked towards December and January, and gritted her teeth in angst. She slowly returned to her feet, a worried-looking Mao scurrying up her till he sat on her head. December scratched his head again while January stared at him.

"One more thing. Gerbil thingy," Mao perked up in surprise as December flicked some snow out of his hair, "next time she leaves her post, you die with her. Be grateful we weren't told to kill BK-201's comrades... yet." With that December and January walked away down the road, leaving Kirihara and Mao standing there as the snow started to fall again.

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><p>The road by the ocean was empty sans for one black van that drove down it. Inside the van, Hei sat in the passenger seat with Yin cradled on his lap. The driver paid no heed to Hei as she continued to drive down the bare road. A minute of silence followed before the driver spoke.<p>

"I would kill you right now if I didn't have to kiss your dead body afterwards," she said coldly, but Hei remained unmoved by the threat. He simply stared at the road ahead without a word. The woman driving seemed annoyed by being ignored and returned her attention to the road. As the bridge leaving Hokkaido came into view, the woman stopped the van suddenly at a fork in the road. "Get out and go down the right-hand road. You'll see a speedboat there waiting for you. Use the oar in it to move the boat underneath the bridge. Wait 30 minutes and start the engine. Once you get across you're on your own."

Hei nodded once and opened the door before stepping out, keeping one arm holding Yin against him. When he got out of the van fully, Hei turned and flicked a photo onto the passenger seat. The woman glanced to the photo silently and returned her eyes to the road.

"What's that for?" she asked roughly, and Hei closed the door before hoisting Yin onto his back. He turned his back to the van before calling back, "I don't want anything to do with it."

The woman driving took the photo of Izanami and slipped it into her black suit. She pressed down on the gas and took off down the left road as Hei walked down the right side one. Hei's breath came out in a cloud as the snow fell around him. After a few minutes, Hei saw a speedboat sitting calmly on the edge of the water. Glancing around to make sure no one was around, Hei slipped down to the boat and moved the single oar to put Yin curled up on the floor of the boat. Hei noticed a black tarp folded up next to the engine and placed it over Yin to keep her warm.

Using the oar, Hei pushed the boat silently along the rocks until he was directly under the bridge. He aligned the boat so it pointed towards the far end of the bridge. Hei then sat down and began to wait, keeping a hand on the tarp to keep it down over Yin. From his coat, Hei took out the photo of the observation spectre on the water's surface from inside the Gate. Hei stared at the photo, memorizing the location of the spectre before crumpling the photo up and lighting it with a match.

Up on the crowded bridge, the black van sat in a long line of other cars as the CIA were inspecting each of them. The woman reached into her suit pocket and took out a small photo and watch. The photo's edges were worn and torn from the winter weather, but the woman didn't mind as the person in the photo remained. The woman glanced to her watch and breathed a low breath.

"That man's illogical mind must be rubbing off on me, huh, Yoko..." Hazuki whispered to the photo and slipped it back into her suit pocket. Hazuki stared at the watch silently as the hands ticked on. Hazuki watched the watch constantly as thirty minutes was about to be up. Hazuki rolled the van window down as the second hand hit the nine. Hazuki stepped on the gas pedal and veered right, into the lane reserved for CIA. Shouts echoed through the air as Hazuki took off down the road.

Hazuki glanced at the watch as five seconds remained. Below the bridge, Hei was nearing the end of his countdown, his hand ready on the motor. CIA agents rushed towards the van, but were distracted as something flew out of the window. The agents all looked towards the object that was thrown. To their horror, and bad luck, it wasn't what they thought it was. The grenade pin glinted in the light before the deafening explosion on the other side of the van blew the CIA agents off their feet. As soon as the explosion occurred, Hei revved the motor and the boat took off, using the explosion to hide the sound of the motor. Hazuki's van swerved from the blast, but that didn't stop Hazuki from throwing more grenades out of the window to continue to mask the motor below the bridge.

One of the CIA agents raised his rifle and expertly fired at the van's back tire, causing the van to suddenly screech and turn violently. The CIA surrounded the van, their guns at the ready. Ready for anything except the van exploding just as Hei's boat reached the other side. Hei pulled Yin and the tarp off the boat and quickly made several holes in the boat's floor with his dagger so it would sink. Heaving Yin onto his back, Hei pulled the tarp around her to keep her warm as the falling snow had increased. As shouts rang out from the bridge, Hei disappeared along the rocks, away from the incident that he would be most likely be blamed for.

Directly below the bridge, on the beams that supported the large structure, Hazuki peered through her binoculars to see Hei leaving. She then tossed her binoculars and skillfully crossed the beams to the land. Hazuki took out the photo of Izanami, and with a glance back at the bridge, unsheathed her katana to wait for an unsuspecting car to pass by for her to "borrow".

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><p>"Wow, what a mess," Mao muttered as he and Kirihara were stuck on Hokkaido as they watched workers clear the debris off the bridge. Kirihara bit her bottom lip in frustration while Mao covered his nose from the smoke still rising.<p>

"Li-kun..." Kirihara whispered under her breath.

* * *

><p>Tanaka put the phone down and sighed heavily. August 7 looked over and chuckled lightly. Kobayashi was polishing his rifle as Tanaka rubbed his temples.<p>

"BK-201 attacked the bridge to Hokkaido, so agent Kirihara, who according to December, had abandoned her post to chase after BK-201, is stuck there until repairs are made," Tanaka stated and Kobayashi finished prepping his rifle before looking to Tanaka.

"Did December and January cross the bridge before the incident?"

"Mere moments, December also mentioned that we'll need a new company car after theirs was stolen by an unknown assailant," Tanaka said with a loud groan, most likely due to December's habit of losing valuable items. Tanaka nodded his head slowly and stood up, followed by August 7.

"So BK-201 is coming to us. I can only guess this is why that fool December lost his photos," August 7 speculated, worsening Tanaka's already foul mood.

"Regardless, we have PANDORA's support as they prepare Ophiuchus for its test-run against Izanami. If BK-201 does come here for the Gate, we'll be here to stop him. This will be considered an all-out war against Izanami and BK-201." Kobayashi and August 7 left the room after that, to get ready for the Black Reaper.

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><p>"Oh my, so young and yet you got stuck out in the snow!" a woman said to Hei as he sat in the back seat of the woman's car as her husband drove down the road in their car. Hei put on his best fake smile and chuckle while Yin lay against his shoulder. The woman smiled to the two, and made a cooing sound. "What a cute couple you two are. You remind me of us."<p>

"Ah, th-thank you," Hei said, using his usual fake politeness to mask himself. The husband laughed and glanced to the rear-view mirror for a second.

"Yeah, but _his_ wife sleeps like an angel!"

"What does that make me?" his wife snapped angrily, and Hei shrank back in his seat as the two had started to argue while driving. Hei felt Yin slip slightly off his shoulder, and he quickly put an arm around her to keep her from falling and blowing his cover. The couple had stopped arguing when they noticed and quietly made up before returning their attention to the road. Hei stared at Yin's face for a moment and then closed his eyes for a second to rest.

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><p>Tokyo was covered in snow as the car Hei was in pulled up next to the apartment complex that formerly had housed Hei. Hei opened the back door and stepped out, adjusting Yin onto his back. The woman stuck her head out of the window of the driver side, as they had switched spots because of an argument involving her husband's driving.<p>

"I hope you two have a good time in Tokyo. I've heard it's lovely in the winter," she said with a toothy smile. Hei smiled back and nodded politely. The woman looked to Yin and perked up as her eyes caught Yin's hands. "Oh my, her ring's gone."

"Eh?" Hei muttered in surprise and the woman tutted softly before slipping one of her many rings off her ring.

"It's probably not the same as the wedding ring you gave her, but it's better than an empty finger," the woman said, and Hei had to quickly remember his being "married" to Yin. He nodded and politely took the offered ring. The woman chuckled and put her hand on the steering wheel. "I bet she'll be very surprised when she wakes up."

Hei gave the woman and her husband a polite farewell and turned away from the road as the car drove away. Hei looked towards the complex and saw that it was still the same as when he had first come to Tokyo. He could hear the loud music coming from his old neighbors as he tread through the snow to the landlord's apartment. Hei gave her door a quick knock before the door flew open.

"For the last time, I don't want your stupid magazine!" she snapped angrily at the surprised Hei. Hei, confused by her outburst, stuttered his hello as the landlord stared at him in utter amazement. "Li-san! I'm surprised you returned!"

"Ah, yes. Good day," he said politely and the landlord sighed happily.

"I got worried when you told me you were being deported," she said and smiled up at Hei. Hei nodded slightly and glanced to Yin.

"I had to return to China because my wife was having trouble with taxes," he lied, the landlord believing it fully. She gave Yin a warm smile and strode to the stairs, giving Hei a beckoning wave of her hand.

"I've kept your apartment the same as when you left. I hope you'll be staying for longer. You are staying, right?" she asked and Hei nodded once with another smile. The landlord immediately brightened up and led Hei towards his old apartment. The door to the neighbors opened, and Hei was quickly greeted by his old neighbors' smiles. The landlord opened the door to Hei's apartment 201, and he stepped inside the empty apartment. She was beaming with happiness as she looked around the empty place.

"I guess your things will be arriving later?" she asked, and Hei paused before giving her a sad smile. After a lengthy explanation, the landlord's smile had disappeared while she frowned sadly. "That's awful having to run from your home because of the Chinese Mob's loan sharks. Well, don't you worry, Li-san! If anyone comes by asking for you, I'll tell them I haven't seen you since you were deported!" Hei smiled kindly and the landlord rubbed her chin before snapping her fingers.

"I have some unused furniture in storage, you can use that," she offered and Hei was about to object until his neighbors popped in.

"We'll help!" they all said, making the landlord peeved at them for eavesdropping. Hei laid Yin down on the floor before he was dragged off to help bring the furniture up. A good five hours later, Hei flopped down onto his new chair as the landlord and neighbors had returned to their own places.

"Nothing's changed," he whispered, and after a moment, stood up to check on Yin who was sleeping on the bed in their room. Hei walked over to the bed and pulled the blanket up to Yin's shoulder. He stared at her face silently before pulling the blinds closed and laid down on the floor by the bed.

"So I see you've gotten settled quite nicely." Hei's eyes snapped open and he swiftly pulled his dagger out from under the bed. He jumped to his feet and readied his knife towards the window where the voice was coming from. The voice chuckled before the window slowly slid open and something dropped down onto the floor. Hei stared at the intruder before silently lowering his knife.

"Mao," Hei said as the cat contractor smiled up at him.

"What other talking cat do you know?" Mao asked jokingly, his tail swaying slowly.

"What happened to the other body?" Hei asked and Mao scratched behind his ears calmly.

"It's still with that ex-cop. I left a portion of myself in it so I wouldn't arouse suspicion easily," Mao explained and looked up at Hei, "after all the only place I should ever be is with you lot. You're completely lost without me."

"What did you find out?" Hei asked abruptly, not caring much for what Mao was saying. Mao's ear twitched in annoyance and he licked his paw once.

"I found out that the CIA has increased security within the Wall and PANDORA. It will be impossible for you to get in without my help," Mao stated and Hei eyed the cat silently.

"I need to get into the Gate."

"I know. I saw the photos too. But there's only one way I found to get through," Mao said and jumped up onto the foot of the bed to curl up. Hei stared at the cat for the explanation while Mao yawned loudly. "Today is the 19th. In two days is the winter solstice. On that day, the Wall is scheduled for maintenance. During that time, one section of the Wall will be without power for five minutes each hour. However, the Wall is still heavily guarded even without power. So you would have to get through the section least protected. That would be the the Southwest gate. It should be child's play for you to get through from there."

"I'll be taking Yin with me," Hei said, and Mao jolted in shock.

"What? You'll never make it with Yin on your back! Why do you even have to bring her?" Mao asked and Hei looked to Yin's sleeping face. He narrowed his eyes before looking back at Mao.

"I have to get Yin back," he said quietly and Mao sighed before resting his head on his paws.

"You're acting less like a contractor each day, Hei. But perhaps that is for the best. If you must bring Yin with you I will see if I can find a better way into the Gate. But even if you do get into the Gate, you'll need an awake doll with you to guide you," Mao said and Hei was silent for a moment.

"I'll figure it all out," he said bluntly and Mao chuckled. There was suddenly a banging on the door to the apartment and Hei quickly turned towards it. Mao just smirked and closed his eyes.

"Relax. While looking for you in Tokyo I ran into an old face. Literally," Mao said before the door was forced open and a gruff voice scowled angrily.

"I heard that, Mao." Hei stared in amazement as leaning against the door frame, Huang grinned widely at Hei's face, bandages wrapped around his hands, neck, and part of his face. "Surprised to see me alive? Hanging around you freaks must have given me some of your persistence to survive."

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4B- Return of the Tokyo Storm Part 2<strong>

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><p>Huang stumbled into Hei's apartment before slamming the door shut behind him. Hei stared at Huang in continued surprise as the man flopped onto an arm chair in pain. Mao chuckled as he cast a sly eye towards Huang.<p>

"Still injured from two years ago?" he asked and Huang shot the cat a nasty look.

"Shut up, I ain't a monster like you all. Blowing yourself up hurts like all hell. They said I was lucky to be alive in one piece," Huang stated and Hei slipped his dagger away before he and Mao stepped into the main room to sit with Huang. Mao sat on the table as Hei sat in the chair facing Huang.

"So you've been in a hospital all this time?"

"Where else do injured humans go?" Huang asked, adding emphasis on "humans". Hei put his head on the back of his hands and stared at Huang.

"It's good to see you alive," Hei said coolly, which made Huang huff bitterly.

"Don't go making me blow myself up again, boy," he said wryly with a scowl. Mao chuckled and swayed his tail slowly.

"Anyway, we'll be infiltrating the Wall in two days when maintenance is scheduled," he said to Huang, and Huang raised an eyebrow.

"Two days? Hate to break it to you monsters, but maintenance was rescheduled for tomorrow," Huang stated, causing both Hei and Mao in flinch in surprise.

"Tomorrow? Why?" Mao asked agitated. Huang just shrugged his shoulders with a wince of slight pain.

"Beats me. I only overheard my doctor talking to some CIA guy about checking the troops tonight for the maintenance tomorrow. They said something about needing troops to guard the Wall, and about some intruders in the future. I guess they know you're here already, Hei." Huang looked to Hei as Hei stared at the floor silently. Huang leaned back in his chair and groaned loudly in pain. "So you're really willing to risk your life for some dumb doll, huh?"

"... It was my fault..." Hei muttered quietly, Mao and Huang looking at Hei in confusion. Hei put a palm to his forehead as he continued to look at the floor. "When I stabbed her... I saw it... I saw when she had met Izanami in the Gate. It was my fault for leaving her alone there..." Mao and Huang fell silent as Hei had also gone quiet. Huang put a cigarette between his lips and sighed.

"I swear, I can't tell if you're a contractor or a human." Hei looked up at Huang as the man had slowly risen to his feet. Huang lit his cigarette and took a long breath of it before letting smoke come out of his mouth. "It's fine, you know. Guilt is natural to humans. Not sure if what you're feeling is guilt though or whatever the contractor equal of it is. Just don't mess up. This is your chance to make it all right."

Huang turned for the door and waved back at Hei and Mao as he pushed the door open slowly and stumbled outside. The door closed with a click, and Mao looked over at Hei before the cat smiled. Hei stared at the door silently, mulling over what Huang had said.

"He's changed since the Syndicate is gone," Mao said in relief. Hei nodded once and stood from his chair. Mao looked up as Hei walked over to the door to Yin's room. He stopped at the door and looked back to Mao.

"Get ready, Mao. We're going tonight while the guards are less," Hei stated and Mao sighed.

"I knew you would say something as reckless as that."

* * *

><p>Night had fallen as the Wall's guards were all lined up outside a room for their check-up. Several of them were talking amongst themselves while the guards at the head of the line were wondering why the doctor hadn't showed up yet. Tanaka sighed as he rubbed his temples while looking at the line. He looked over when the door down the hallway opened.<p>

"Kirihara, you made it across the bridge."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for sending the helicopter," Kirihara said politely and bowed slightly with Mao on her head. Tanaka nodded and looked back at the line of guards.

"We'll need you for guard duty. Just don't abandon your post this time," he said before walking off. Kirihara frowned in embarrassment over having had left her post to find Hei. She straightened up and headed down the hallway to where Kobayashi would be waiting with their equipment for guard duty. She opened the door to see her gear already prepared for her while Kobayashi had already left. Madame Oreille was also nowhere to be seen, but Kirihara paid the informant's lack of presence no heed as she geared up in her bulletproof vest and with her AK-47. Kirihara exited the room with Mao sitting silently on her shoulder. She headed down the hallway to find Kobayashi waiting for her along with January and Tanaka in the meeting room.

"December is currently asleep from using his ability, so he will join us later," Tanaka informed Kirihara, who was very pleased without December being around to mock her. Tanaka switched on the monitor on the wall and briefed them on what they would be doing.

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><p>Outside, hiding in the shadows of the buildings, Hei peeked out from an alleyway, his mask firmly placed over his face. Mao was at Hei's feet as he stared at the Wall. Mao's fur stood on end suddenly and he looked up at Hei.<p>

"My other body is here. The cop must have made it across the bridge," he informed Hei, who nodded silently. Mao glanced to Yin on Hei's back and then looked back to the Wall, which lay almost completely unguarded from the outside. "Do we go with the usual plan?"

Hei nodded again and Mao smirked before looking around for a bird. As soon as one flew by, Mao's eyes glowed and his body lay down motionlessly. The bird quietly dived down into the alleyway and picked up a small bomb with each of its feet. Mao then flew out of the alleyway and high above the wired fence surrounding the Wall. His talons released the two small bombs onto the fence, immediately exploding on contact. Using the explosion as a cover, Hei slipped down the alleyway and used his wire to swing himself over the fence away from the explosion, as the guards were all heading there to examine the damage and cause. Mao had already flown back to his cat body and repossessed it before disappearing into the alleyway so he wouldn't be caught.

Hei landed on the ground and quickly scanned the area before darting towards the Wall. He stood against the Wall and looked around for an entrance. As shouts from the explosion area rang out, Hei located a locked door nearby. Stealthily, Hei made his way to the door, and used his dagger to break the knob off. Looking back to make sure nobody heard it, Hei quickly opened the door and rushed inside.

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><p>"Agent December! Please wake up, sir! There has been an attack on the main gate!" a guard shouted as he banged on the door to December's room. January stood beside the guard as the door slowly opened to show a sleepy looking December.<p>

"He's here already, huh? Good, I was beginning to wonder if he'd ever show up," December muttered and rubbed his eyes tiredly. December then glanced to January, who nodded once, before turning his gaze to the guard. "Wanna see something cool?"

The guard, taken aback, slowly nodded his head before December smiled. He straightened up and put a hand over his face. "Liar, Liar, and that's the truth."

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><p>The phone in the meeting room rang suddenly, interrupting Tanaka's briefing. Tanaka looked to the phone and calmly pressed the speaker button so Kobayashi and Kirihara could hear the call too.<p>

"This is Tanaka," Tanaka said sternly to the phone. A voice came on then, sounding quite shaken.

"S-Sir! This is Brian at the Egypt Base... we found something disturbing, sir..."

"What is it?" Tanaka asked, and there was a small moment of silence from the other end before Brian's voice returned.

"We found the body of MI-6 agent December floating in the Nile River... dead."


	5. Stars Never Rise

**Author's Note: Not going to lie, this chapter made me cry for a good ten minutes while writing it. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5- Stars Never Rise<strong>

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><p>The door to the meeting room burst open, and Tanaka rushed out into the hallway. He looked both ways down the hallway before he took off down the left side. Kirihara and Kobayashi exited the meeting room in confusion as they watched Tanaka disappear down the hallway.<p>

"What do we do now, sir?" Kirihara asked, and Kobayashi sternly looked back to her.

"Capture BK-201 as planned."

* * *

><p>Outside the Wall, Mao sat quietly in the passenger seat of Huang's new black car parked in a dark alleyway. Huang had an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth as he rubbed his aching arms. He occasionally glanced to the radar screen Mao had positioned in front of him. A small red light with the words Hei over them blinked slowly as it moved further into the Wall's interior.<p>

"Odd," Mao remarked, breaking the silence. Huang looked to the cat as Mao stared fixated at the screen. "The tracker I placed on the MI-6 agent December has vanished. If he had broken it, it would still emit a fading signal, but to completely disappear suddenly...?"

"Maybe its batteries died," Huang said with a straight face. Mao pondered the possibility while the blinking red dot with the word "January" over it headed slowly towards Hei.

* * *

><p>Hei peeked out around the corner to look down an empty hallway. He glanced around for cameras, and then quickly made his run down the deserted hallway. Hei's eyes wandered to blood speckles scattered across the floor as he ran down the hallway till he reached a break in the hallway. One hallway's lights were smashed with glasses from the lights littering the floor. The other hallway's lights were perfectly intact.<p>

He made a snap decision and headed down the glass-covered hallway, carefully avoiding the glass without missing a step. As Hei ran down the hallway, he cast a cautious eye around in case of traps. Things were going too easily, he thought before stopping in his tracks in front of a steel door at the end of the hallway. With a quick flick of his dagger, the doorknob split in half, causing the door to swing open.

The lights inside were off as only the pale blue glow of computer lit the dark room. Hei slipped into the room and quickly made his way past the computers that all had an error screen. Hei stopped when he reached the other side of the room. Something was wrong. Slowly, Hei settled Yin down against the wall as he took his dagger out. Something caught the corner of his eye, making him quickly swerve with his dagger at the ready as a bullet ricocheted off the side of his dagger and grazed his mask.

"Realignment of three degrees north," someone said and another bullet was fired at Hei. Hei quickly parried the bullet before immediately being flung backwards as a second bullet had collided with his mask, its sound masked by the first bullet. Part of his mask fell to the floor loudly as Hei glared ahead of him. The lights of the room suddenly flashed on, blinding Hei for a moment. Hei readied his dagger and winced as he slowly opened his eyes to stare down the barrel of a handgun.

With a bang, another bullet from the handgun cracked Hei's mask. Hei fell to the floor and rolled back onto his feet to deflect the next bullet. Hei glared at his attacker as she stared back expressionlessly. Hei quickly recognized her as the girl that had ambushed him in Hokkaido.

"You're... January?" Hei asked, and January nodded once in silence, her handgun still pointed at Hei. Hei gripped his dagger tightly while he continued to glare at January. "Get in my way and I'll kill you."

"To get outside, leave this room through the door behind the cabinet against the wall filled with red books. Head down the hallway and take two rights. Head straight after that," January stated, causing Hei to look at her puzzled. January didn't seem to care at all about Hei's apparent look of confusion as she kept talking. "Also, you are to refer to me as Jeanne Creaves now. I am no longer January."

"Why are you telling me the way?" Hei asked, suspicious of the kindness. January's face never changed as she stared at Hei.

"I was ordered to," she stated bluntly. Hei narrowed his eyes at that.

"Who ordered you?"

"My brother Laharl."

* * *

><p>Keys jangled as they were removed from within Tanaka's suit pocket. Tanaka's eyes were wide and unmoving as the owner of the hand taking the keys smirked happily.<p>

"Thanks for your help, "Boss"," the boy said pocketing the keys and slowly pulling his katana from Tanaka's chest. The boy flicked the katana, letting Tanaka's blood fall onto the floor before the man's body did. The boy sheathed his katana on his back and scratched his jet black hair.

"Da...mn... you..." The boy perked up, and he looked down to see Tanaka glared weakly up at him. The boy grinned widely as Tanaka slowly reached for his phone. With a smash, the boy's foot fell down onto Tanaka's hand, breaking it with ease. The boy tutted playfully and stared at Tanaka's paling face with his ice cold blue eyes.

"Now, now. Tell me where it is, Tanaka."

"Go to hell... Laharl Creaves..." Tanaka muttered weakly, and Laharl sighed before brutally smashing his foot onto Tanaka's head. Laharl cackled happily as he continuously stomped on Tanaka's head, even after it had broken and blood sprayed everywhere. Laharl's cackle turned to an insane giggle as he stared at the mess he had made.

"More blood... I must see more blood... hehehehehehehe..."

* * *

><p>Hei grasped onto the side of the cabinet with red books, and slowly heaved it over. He paused as he saw a door that camouflaged with the wall behind the cabinet. Placing Yin back onto his back, Hei glanced back at where Jeanne stood with her back to them. Hei then kicked the door open and rushed down the hallway without a glance back. Jeanne took out a small receiver and turned it on.<p>

"They've gone, Nii-san," Jeanne said despite the laughter coming from the other end of the receiver. The laughter paused for a second.

"Oh? Good, go give them cover. I'll continue looking for it." Jeanne nodded once and stowed the receiver into her pocket before leaving through the door with the split knob. Back down the hallway Hei had run down, Hei had turned right twice and continued running down the hallway, not meeting any resistance at all strangely enough. Hei perked up when he saw the hallway end, and moonlight pouring into the hallway. Hei exited the hallway and found himself on the edge of the interior of the Gate.

High above Hei, someone was standing on the top of Wall while looking down towards Hei. Behind the person, Jeanne walked out onto the top of the Wall with a long rifle resting against her shoulder. Jeanne looked to the person and loaded her rifle.

"Guide them," she said and the person nodded once. Down below, Hei cautiously looked around and slowly stepped into the Gate with Yin on his back. Almost immediately, Hei found himself on a completely different street lined with trees. He glanced around, trying to remember the way to the center of the Gate. A blue glow caught Hei's eye, and he lifted his head up to see an observation spectre looking down at him from a window. At first, Hei was confused. He hadn't been able to see observation spectres since his powers were taken away. But the observation spectre he saw now was as clear as day.

The observation spectre seemed to be calling out to Hei as he stared at it. Hei took a step forward towards the spectre and slowly made his way towards it. As he neared the spectre, the scenery changed again. Hei was now on the bridge over a river as the observation spectre had moved to a window next to the river. Hei jumped up onto the bridge railing and hopped down onto the river below, his feet never sinking into the water. The spectre beckoned him forward before fading away. Hei took another step forward and the scenery changed again.

* * *

><p>Hei felt himself grow lighter suddenly as the scenery had become a field of flowers stretched out forever. He glanced behind him to see Yin's body had disappeared. Hei looked around the field of flowers before tilting his head up to look at the stars. The stars twinkled innocently as music softly flowed through the air. Hei looked to his right and saw the familiar shape lying among the flowers. Slowly, he walked towards the shape, the music getting softer as he approached.<p>

The music stopped as Hei did next to the sleeping figure of Yin, lying among the flowers. Hei knelt down next to her and softly slid his arms under her legs and neck to lift her. Before he could, a small hand landed on his right arm. Hei flinched before looking to his right to see a younger Yin knelt down beside him.

"Yin..." Hei whispered softly, staring at Yin's face as she looked silently at the flowers in front of her.

"Yin...? No... Kirsi..." the younger Yin said softly, her eyes never moving as if it were useless to look upon Hei. Hei stared transfixed upon the younger Yin as she kept her hand on his arm. "Leave her here."

Hei's eyes widened slightly, but returned to normal quickly.

"I won't."

"She doesn't want to wake up," the younger Yin said softly. Hei slid his arms out from Yin's body, and looked at the sleeping Yin's face. The younger Yin looked too before closing her eyes. "It would only hurt you, she says."

"I don't care." The younger Yin opened her eyes, and for the first time, looked at Hei. Hei clenched his fists tightly. "I will protect her this time. I won't fail her again."

The younger Yin continued to stare at Hei for a moment before she closed her eyes and cracked a tiny smile. The scenery started to fade to white, and Hei, surprised by the fading, immediately lifted Yin into his arms and held her close.

"I promise. I will never leave you again," Hei said softly, memories of Pai's disappearance resurfacing in his mind. The younger Yin stared at Hei as she started to fade as well.

"... Stupid. You never failed her to begin with."

* * *

><p>Guards poured out from the Wall into the outskirts of the Gate just as the air started to shift. Jeanne and the person she was with looked up into the sky as a thin pillar of light had risen from the center of the Gate. Jeanne readied her rifle and took aim at the guards below.<p>

"Mission accomplished, Nii-san. Moving on to Phase 2," Jeanne said as the person she was with hurriedly left down the stairs. From the receiver in Jeanne's pocket, a chuckle was barely heard.

"Perfect, engage the IFS."

* * *

><p>As the light slowly faded, Hei found himself in the center of the Gate next to the fountain, his eyes staring up at the night sky, or to be more precise, the stars that glistened high above them all. Hei felt his eyes grow damp from the sight of the stars, and a single tear slid down his cheek and off his chin.<p>

"It's raining." Hei's eyes slowly widened as he heard the voice. He lowered his head down to see Yin's eyes slowly open while Hei's tear slid off her face. Hei stared in amazement as Yin's eyes fully opened and stared ahead.

"Yin..." Hei whispered. Yin didn't respond, but instead raised her hand to the side of Hei's face, brushing her finger against a forming tear so that she could use her spectre. Yin lowered her hand onto her chest softly and leaned her head against Hei's chest.

"Hei," she whispered back.


	6. The Black Reaper and The Blood Tongue

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! The last chapter was probably confusing, so hopefully this chapter and the next one will clear some stuff up. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6- The Black Reaper and The Blood Tongue<strong>

The Heaven's War. The war that first brought the contractors to light. Organizations from across the world sought to make the power of Heaven's Gate their own. For that purpose, contractors were recruited as a fighting force for these organizations. One such group of contractors also housed our greatest opponent, the Black Reaper, now known as BK-201. Back then, falling stars were a common sight as contractor after contractor was killed by this Reaper. One such star that fell belonged to a contractor known for his cruel killing means.

Messier Code XV-112, codename Blood Tongue. All victims of this contractor were hung by their feet; their arms and head severed from their bodies. But the most distinguishing part was the smiley face sticking its tongue out that was etched into the flesh of the victim's torso. Because of that trademark symbol, XV-112 was given the nickname Blood Tongue. However, the day before Heaven's Gate became the way it is now, XV-112's body was found dead. The one who killed contractor XV-112 was BK-201... but not the Black Reaper.

* * *

><p>Kirihara and Kobayashi stood in the dark room as they stared up at the body of Tanaka, hung by his feet. Kirihara narrowed her eyes at the corpse's lack of arms and head before her eyes went to the bloody smiley face carved into Tanaka's torso. Kobayashi examined his rifle and loaded it silently before speaking.<p>

"The dead have risen," he said gravely as guards rushed to get Tanaka's corpse down. Kirihara nodded slowly, and the two left the room with some guards following close behind.

* * *

><p>Hei slowly stepped down the deserted street within the Gate, Yin on his back with her eyes closed as she rested. Her arms wrapped around Hei's neck to keep her from falling. Hei continued to walk slowly down the street to keep from jostling Yin.<p>

"Hei," came Yin's soft voice, making Hei turn his head slightly to see her open her eyes slowly.

"What?" he asked and Yin gazed down the street ahead of them. Hei looked too and faintly heard footsteps approach. Yin's arms slid off of Hei's neck and she softly stood onto the ground off of Hei's back. Hei pulled her behind him as he pulled his knife out, bracing himself for confrontation.

"Good evening," the person approaching said calmly, as if being in the Gate were completely natural. Hei narrowed his eyes at the person before they snapped wide open.

"You're...!" Hei muttered loudly and the person smiled widely.

"Aw, how sweet, you remember me. I'm flattered, Black Reaper," Laharl Creaves said with a swish of his black hair. Hei's hand holding his knife tightened its grip as he stared at Laharl.

"Blood Tongue... You're alive," Hei said quietly, causing Laharl's smile to turn into a grin. Laharl let out a chuckle that evolved into full out laughter.

"What? You thought I died? How cruel, how cruel! As if that sister of yours could do me in," Laharl stated, obviously digging at Hei's nerves. Hei gritted his teeth at the mentioning of his sister before pulling his arm back and swiftly throwing his knife at Laharl's head. Laharl calmly licked his lips as the knife whizzed into the center of his forehead. Laharl's body started to fall backwards before exploding into water.

Hei's eyes widened before a foot slammed into the side of his head, causing him to tumble to ground roughly. Quickly, Hei jumped back to his feet before pulling his knife back into his hand. Hei glared at Laharl for a moment before kicking off the ground and thrusting his knife towards him. Laharl's grin returned as he licked his lips again.

"Liar, Liar." Hei's knife shattered then, causing Hei to stare in shock as the fragments fell to the ground. Laharl chuckled as his eyes glowed red, the faint blue glow coming out of his body. Hei positioned himself between Yin and Laharl as he continued to glare at Laharl.

"So that's how you survived. It wasn't your body they found dead," Hei said and Laharl chuckled more.

"Oh no, that was my body. But at the same time it wasn't. After all, it's the truth when I say I died back then. But of course, hehehe, nobody seems to trust my words," Laharl stated as he reached into his pocket and took out a sheet of paper. Hei watched silently as Laharl crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into his mouth before swallowing it whole. Laharl coughed harshly afterwards while grasping his throat. "Ow... that obeisance is a pain. I should stop using that ability. Maybe I should use someone else's instead."

Hei clenched his fists tightly as he stared at Laharl.

"I knew your name was familiar when that girl said it," Hei muttered and Laharl smiled.

"I should hope so. After all, I'd be hurt if you didn't remember your old enemy's name from that Heaven's War," Laharl stated. Behind Hei, Yin perked up slightly as did Hei. Laharl glanced around and sighed sadly as fully-covered guards surrounded the three of them, armed with guns pointed at them.

"You're under arrest, BK-201. As are you, VX-112," Kirihara stated sternly, her sub-machine gun aimed straight at Hei's head.

* * *

><p>Outside the Wall, Huang and Mao were silently waiting in the car hidden in the shadows. Huang tapped the steering wheel anxiously while Mao stared at the radar in front of him. Mao perked up as more blinking dots appeared, making their way towards the Wall.<p>

"We have company," he spoke, creating a groan from Huang.

* * *

><p>Kirihara's aim never wavered as she stared at Hei's face silently. Hei slowly moved to shield Yin, causing Kirihara to jerk her gun.<p>

"Don't move!" she snapped harshly, making Hei pause quietly. Hei stared back at Kirihara silently as she continued to point her gun at him. Laharl sighed and raised his hands over his head. Kirihara perked up at the action and her gaze shifted to Laharl, as did the gazes of the guards with her.

"I give up. It's all fun and games till someone gets hurt," Laharl stated with a sigh. Kirihara raised an eyebrow suspiciously as Laharl had his eyes closed. Hei glanced at Laharl who kept his hands in the air. A small smile played at Laharl's lips then. "Of course..."

"Misaki! Shoot him! Shoot him before he can speak!" Kobayashi's voice rang out in alarm from behind Kirihara as he rushed over. Kirihara glanced back startled, her finger slipping on the trigger, causing it to fire. The bullet's sound echoed in the air as blood hit the ground. Hei's eyes were wide as in front of him, Yin stood with blood running down her side as she had shielded Hei from the bullet. Kirihara and Hei stared in shock while Laharl sighed again.

"I was gonna say you'd only shoot the doll. But nobody likes listening to me," he muttered sadly as Yin slowly turned her head back to look at Hei before falling to the side. Hei hurriedly caught her and stared in shock as her blood continued to flow out of her.

"Hei... are you okay?" Yin asked softly. Hei was speechless as he stared at Yin before her eyes slowly closed. Hei's eyes widened as far as they could and his hands holding Yin began to tremble. Laharl glanced over at Hei and a mysterious smirk spread across his face. Kirihara regained her composure and pointed her gun at Hei again. Hei didn't respond to the action as he held onto Yin tightly before a single spark escaped his fingers. Kirihara flinched in surprise at the spark while the spark caused Laharl's smirk to grow into a large grin. High above them, the star-filled fake sky became more crowded as a star once lost returned.

"Welcome back, BK-201," Laharl said under his breath as Hei stood to his feet, carrying Yin in his arms. Kirihara readied her gun before Hei had vanished from her sight. Without warning, Hei's hand swung towards Kirihara and grabbed her by the face. Kirihara's eyes widened in shock as Hei's eyes were filled with rage.

"Die..." he whispered before the nostalgic blue glow surrounded his body. Kirihara felt Hei's hand grow hotter until she was roughly grabbed from behind and thrown back. Kirihara hit the ground hard as a scream filled the air. Her eyes snapped open from the pain of being thrown. Kirihara quickly looked up to see that Kobayashi had taken her place, Hei's hand firmly grasped upon Kobayashi's face as the man's body spasmed uncontrollably. After Kobayashi's body stopped shaking, Hei angrily threw the man's dead body onto the ground. As Hei adjusted his other arm that carried Yin, Kirihara couldn't form any words as her lips moved silently in shock.

"Li-kun..." Kirihara finally managed to say before she was struck on the back of the neck from behind. She collapsed onto the ground along with the guards that were with her. Hei looked to see Laharl clapping the dust off his hands. Laharl smiled to Hei and gave him a little bow.

"Welcome back to the world of contractors, Mr. Black Reaper."

* * *

><p>"The doll was shot in the side, right next to the lung. So for the moment, she's just unconscious from the shock of being shot. Of course, if nothing is done, she will bleed to death," Laharl stated calmly as he ran beside Hei down the hallway inside the Wall. Hei ignored him completely as he held Yin tightly in his arms. Laharl scratched his head while running and chuckled.<p>

"How amusing, enemies running together. Of course, we were actually never enemies cause I was hired to kill ya!" Laharl said cheerfully, but Hei ignored him as all of his attention was on getting out of there as fast as possible. Laharl pouted slightly as he reached into his pocket for his cellphone. He flicked the phone open and pressed a single number before putting it to his ear. Hei and Laharl turned down another hallway as guards came running towards them.

"Liar, Liar," Laharl said as he stared at the guards. Hei perked up as the guards were savagely ripped apart by an invisible weapon as Laharl's body glowed again. Laharl fished out a small notebook from his back pocket and grumbled as he hurriedly folded the corner of each page. After he did, he threw the notebook away. Hei silently stared at Laharl until the two reached the entrance and burst outside. Right before a raging fire erupted around Laharl.

Hei flinched from the sudden fire and quickly dove behind a wall as more fire erupted where he had been standing. Laharl's body, now burnt to a crisp fell to the ground as the cause of the fire stepped closer. Hei peeked around the corner and narrowed his eyes as he stared at Mai's expressionless face.

"It was a trap," he muttered and tightened his hold on Yin as Mai stopped walking when she reached the crispy body of Laharl. She glanced down at the body and then looked to where Hei was hidden. She took a step towards him before laughter erupted from behind her.

"I smell tasty!" the charred body of Laharl shouted gleefully as it had risen to its feet behind Mai. Mai whipped around just in time to see Laharl's skin begin healing as a blue glow surrounded his body again. Laharl licked his lips before slicing his wrist with his nail, blood oozing out of the cut. Laharl swung his arm, splattering his blood onto Mai's face. Hei's eyes widened in surprise as Laharl quickly snapped his fingers, causing his blood on Mai to glow blue before exploding.

"Sorry, girl. Your fire may be powerful, but I guess lies are still stronger," Laharl stated as he reached down and brutally ripped a hair off Mai's head before eating it. Hei stepped out from behind the wall while Laharl tried to swallow the hair without much luck as he gagged. "Good grief, I hate that part."

More guards poured out from behind Hei before they erupted into flames. Hei glanced back at the burning guards while Laharl quietly hummed a song. Hei looked back at Laharl before the sound of an engine roared from the other side of the fence. Hei and Laharl looked to see Huang's car stop at the entrance.

"Hurry up!" Huang shouted loudly. Hei ran towards the car and quickly got in while Laharl had disappeared. Inside the car, Mao stared in shock at the blood coming out of Yin's side. Huang slammed his foot down on the gas and the car roared away from the fence while guards tried putting the fires out to little avail.

"Who was that with you, Hei?" Mao asked as he helped Hei bandage the bleeding wound on Yin's side. Hei was quiet at first as he was more focused towards Yin, but spoke a minute later.

"Laharl Creaves, he was hired to kill my group during the Heaven's War. He's a contractor, but his ability is a mystery," Hei stated and Mao glanced up at Hei silently.

"It's called Fictional Reality Replacement," Laharl stated as he sat in the passenger's seat. There was a moment of silence before Huang's car sharply swerved on the road.

"How the hell did you get in?" Huang shouted as he regained control of the car.

"I was always here. Or is that a lie?" Laharl stated and then chuckled. Huang glared at the boy from the corner of his eyes. Mao turned his head towards Laharl and narrowed his eyes.

"So you're from South America?" he wondered and Laharl shrugged calmly.

"I'm from a lot of places. So, gerbil, that's your main body, huh?"

"G-Gerbil...?" Mao stuttered in anger as Laharl grinned widely.

"What, you don't recognize me? I'm December. Well, not really. I'm Laharl Creaves, a lying contractor who was pretending to be MI-6 agent December," Laharl stated and Mao raised an eyebrow.

"December?"

"Explanations can wait. Oi, driver, take a right now," Laharl said and Huang glared again at him.

"Why should I-"

"Just do it," Hei said suddenly, and Huang gritted his teeth before turning right down a deserted street.

"In three lights take a left, two lights then right, and then immediately left. You should reach a building that looks run down. Drive into the garage next door and park there," Laharl stated. Huang grumbled about being ordered around by contractors, but did what he was told. The building was indeed run down as it was covered in cracks. The garage next door was hardly better, but Huang parked there all the same.

The car doors opened and Laharl hopped out, followed by Huang and Mao, and then Hei carrying Yin. Laharl glanced around and then whistled sharply. From behind a pillar, Jeanne emerged wearing casual clothes as she held a first aid kit in her hand. Laharl turned to Hei, Mao, and Huang before he smiled cheerfully.

"If you want the doll to live, follow us."


	7. Truth Exists Within The Lie

**Author's Note: I promise there will be more Hei next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7- Truth Exists Within The Lie<strong>

* * *

><p>Tokyo was blanketed with snow as more continued to fall down from the cloudy skies. On one of the snow-covered streets, a father and his young daughter trudged through the snow, hand-in-hand. The daughter watched the snow fall cheerfully, a large smile spread across her face.<p>

"Papa? Where does snow come from?" she asked innocently, giving her father a bright smile. The father chuckled and looked up at the sky.

"Snow is frozen water that grows to heavy inside clouds, and so they fall," he explained and the daughter stared at the clouds in amazement. Happily, she stuck her tongue out to catch one snowflake, and giggled as it was cold. The father smiled to his daughter as she tried to catch more snowflakes with her tongue.

"Hmm, should we have snow for dinner then?" the father asked jokingly, and the daughter giggled happily.

"No, Papa! I want to eat Mama's cooking!" she said while raising her arms above her head, still holding onto her father's hand. The father chuckled and look down at his daughter.

"You sure love Mama's cooking."

"Of course! I love Mama's cooking and Mama! Oh, I also love Papa and Nii-san! And snow!" she said gleefully. Her father smiled more at that.

"You sure have a big heart to love so much," he said, which made his daughter's cheek flush a little in embarrassment. The two continued down the street as the falling snow lessened. The daughter let go of her father's hand to happily twirl around in the snow. The father watched calmly as she giggled in enjoyment.

"I love everything!" she shouted happily. At that moment, a loud screech cried out from down the road. The daughter turned her head just as a car had slid on ice and swerved towards her. The following crash echoed throughout the neighborhood as the father had fallen onto his back from the shock. The father quickly opened his eyes and stared in utter shock at his daughter's body that lay on the reddening snow.

"JEANNE!"

* * *

><p>Huang grunted softly as he peeked out of the window as another police cruiser rode by the run-down building they were in. He turned to look back into the room where Mao was seated on a footrest.<p>

"You sure they can't find us here?" Huang asked and got a sigh in response from the fridge in the corner.

"I told you, they can't find this place, and that's the truth," Laharl stated, straightening himself up before swinging the fridge door closed with a bottle of soda in his hand. Huang scowled and sat down on the chair next to the footrest.

"Hei is still with Yin?" he asked and Mao nodded slowly while glancing to the closed door on the far side of the room. Laharl popped the bottle open and took a gulp before sighing happily.

"Don't worry, the doll won't die. I may not have been able to heal her immediately, but with basic medical knowledge and my ability, she'll be fine," Laharl said with a chuckle. Huang and Mao looked at Laharl before Mao spoke up.

"You still haven't explained that ability of yours or why you're helping us," he said, raising a suspicious eyebrow to Laharl. Laharl finished his bottle and twirled it on the tip of his finger.

"Fuuuh, fine. I'll answer your questions on one condition."

"Condition?" Mao wondered and Laharl nodded curtly.

"The condition is that you assist me in my employer's plan," he stated with a smirk. Huang groaned softly as he painfully leaned back in his chair, the bandages covering parts of him slipping slightly.

"Who's this employer of yours?" Huang asked and Laharl smiled.

"Ophiuchus." Just then, the door leading to the hallway opened, causing Mao and Huang to jolt a bit until they saw it was just Jeanne entering. Jeanne silently gave the two a small nod before brushing the snow off of her. Laharl looked over to her, his smile gone as he stared at her. "Enjoying the snow?"

"... I hate snow," Jeanne said softly. Laharl closed his eyes for a moment as Jeanne opened the door next to the one that Hei and Yin were behind. She closed the door behind her, and Laharl opened his eyes slowly to look back at Mao and Huang.

"Anyway, my employer is called Ophiuchus. That's all I know," he stated and placed the empty soda bottle onto the table between them. Mao slowly nodded while Laharl rubbed the bridge of his nose silently.

"And what exactly is this Ophiuchus' plan?" Huang asked. Laharl stared at the bottle silently before replying with, "dunno".

Mao and Huang glanced to each other while Laharl leaned back in his chair and kept rubbing the bridge of his nose as if irritated by something. The three remained silent for a moment before Laharl's mouth opened slightly.

"My ability... is Fictional Reality Replacement. In easier terms, it means I can give truth to lies," Laharl stated, making both Huang and Mao perk up in surprise.

"Seems like a pretty powerful ability."

"It isn't actually. It comes with conditions and quirks that put obeisance to shame. Firstly, I cannot give truth to lies that are not possible. Such as mythical creatures and gods. I can't go saying that a dragon burst into this room from the ceiling, and then expect it to happen because dragons don't exist. Secondly, if I speak a lie that involves a living object, I must have had physical contact with said object first," Laharl stated while holding two fingers up as he stopped rubbing his nose.

"Is that all?" Huang asked and Laharl shook his head slightly.

"If I speak a lie involving a contractor, I must have first ingested a part of that contractor, whether it be hair or blood. In addition, all contractor abilities I gain access to also come with their own obeisance. For example, if I were to want to use the ability to teleport, I must pay the obeisance for that ability in addition to my own," Laharl stated calmly. "Those are the three conditions to my ability, but that isn't everything."

Mao and Huang silently listened as Laharl poked the soda bottle once. Laharl's eyes glowed red and the soda bottle had suddenly become full again. Mao and Huang flinched at the suddenness as Laharl took a nail out of his pocket and brutally impaled his arm with it. Laharl gritted his teeth as he pulled the nail out and flung it away as Mao and Huang watched. Laharl placed his hand over the bleeding hole in his arm before his eyes glowed once more and the hole closed up. After that, Laharl grabbed the now full bottle of soda and quickly drank all of its contents before choking and coughing roughly.

"Ha... see? This ability of mine may be useful, but the prices are a bitch," he muttered painfully. Mao eyed the bloody nail over by the wall and then looked back at Laharl.

"So I take it you became MI-6 agent December with that ability?" Mao wondered and Laharl nodded.

"I had Jeanne join MI-6 as February for about a year before I killed December and took his place right before being called in to Tokyo. From there, I had to locate BK-201, or rather Hei, and get him into action by using the photos of Izanami and the observation spectre as bait-"

"Why Hei?" Mao asked, cutting into Laharl's explanation. Laharl paused to look at the cat.

"Because my employer told me his power is necessary for my job. Awakening his doll was just a way of making sure he did what we wanted. After all, dangle cheese in front of a mouse and it'll try to get it no matter what," Laharl stated while rubbing his throat in pain. Mao nodded slowly and glanced to the doors.

"And you want us to help you with this plan?" Huang asked gruffly. Laharl nodded once before Huang jumped to his feet. "Don't bullshit with me! Why should we help you?"

"Sit down, Kiyoshi." Huang's eyes widened in surprise as Laharl stared at the floor with a frown. "If you don't, those wounds are going to open like they did when you returned to the hospital after giving Hei the information about the guard check."

"How did you..."

"You never thought it was strange? That the doctor who watched over you just happened to also be selected to examine the guards at the Gate? That you had just happened to overhear the conversation?" Laharl asked icily, which made Huang fall back onto his chair.

"That was you."

"Naturally. I need some way to get the guard check info to Hei, and you were perfect," Laharl explained. Mao and glanced to Huang and then to Laharl before narrowing his eyes.

"You haven't given us a reason to help you," Mao stated, and Laharl scratched his head slowly. Huang and Mao stared at Laharl until he spoke.

"Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. And on that day..." Laharl trailed off as his face had become paler. Mao and Huang looked at Laharl in confusion until Laharl stared at the two of them. "Tomorrow, Izanami regains all of his lost powers. And if he does become complete again, everyone in this world will die by New Year's Eve."

* * *

><p>Inside the room behind the closed door, Hei sat silently next to the bed that Yin lay in. Hei's eyes were fixed onto the bandages on Yin's side and left arm. His brow furrowed as he continued to stare at them. Suddenly, Yin's finger twitched, and Hei looked to her face to see her eyes slowly open.<p>

"Yin..." Hei said softly and Yin stared at the ceiling before raising her hand slowly and placed it onto Hei's. Hei held onto her hand and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hei." Hei glanced to Yin's face as she continued to stare at the ceiling.

"What is it?"

"He's calling to me," Yin spoke quietly. Hei's hand twitched as he stared at Yin silently, his teeth slowly gritting themselves. Hei tugged on Yin's arm to pull her to a sitting position before holding her tightly against him.

"Hei?" Yin wondered quietly as Hei put his hand on her head.

"I won't let you go again," Hei whispered softly in Yin's ear. Yin nodded slowly and closed her eyes as she rested her head against Hei's chest. As she did that, Hei glared at the wall silently. "I'll never let him use you again..."

* * *

><p>The door opened, making Mao and Huang look over to see Hei step out of the room, his glare still in his eyes. Laharl didn't need to look as Hei walked over to him and glared at the boy's head.<p>

"Where is he?" Hei asked angrily, and Laharl finally glanced back calmly to Hei.

"Are you agreeing to help me?" Laharl wondered and Hei nodded once.

"I'll kill him permanently this time."


	8. The Fake Smile Fades Into Darkness

**Author's Note: My face is all red from these reviews. Thank you all so much.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8- The Fake Smile Fades Into Darkness<strong>

The sky was an eerie shade of red as the unnamed body of a contractor fell onto the ground in the middle of the forest. His assailant stared down at the body before glancing behind him at the tree directly behind him.

"Who are you?" the assailant asked expressionlessly, his dead eyes gazing straight at the tree. A giggle was heard from behind the tree, and out stepped Amber, smiling as usual. The assailant stared at Amber silently before opening his mouth. "Amber, can see future, payment is reversal of age."

Amber smiled more and held her hands behind her back. The assailant just stared at her as she looked around and the dead and mutilated corpses around them. Each one of the corpses were headless and limbless except for the one that just died.

"You are Laharl, correct?" Amber asked and Laharl nodded once slowly. Amber stepped closer to him and examined his face closely. She then smiled again and pulled a single strand of hair from her head. Laharl glanced up at Amber as she placed the hair onto his face. "You'll be needing that in the future."

Laharl picked the hair off his face and stared at it silently as Amber glanced around at the mutilated bodies. Laharl opened his mouth wide and swallowed the hair with a little cough afterwards. Amber giggled as she watched Laharl retch. After finally clearing his throat, Laharl looked up at Amber.

"I was told to kill your group."

"I know. It won't happen though," Amber said calmly as she eyed Laharl. Laharl stared back and straightened up slightly, his eyes turned to the ground.

"I see," he spoke quietly without expression. Amber tilted her head slightly and stifled a giggle.

"It's too bad I won't get to see you smile before _it_ happens," she said mysteriously and turned her back to Laharl. Laharl glanced over to her as she stepped towards the trees with a glance back at him. "Be careful of snakes."

* * *

><p>The faucet was running at full blast as Laharl leaned off the sink, splashing his face with the running water. As the droplets fell from his face, he turned the faucet off and stared at his reflection silently. The soft smile on his face slowly vanished as his eyes started to darken. Laharl picked up the towel from the rack and dried his face, his eyes never straying from their stare at the mirror before a red glow grew from the center of his eyes accompanied by the blue glow surrounding his body.<p>

* * *

><p>Mao swished his tail around as he stood on the wall running along the street. He and Jeanne had been sent out to find Izanami's hiding spot in Tokyo. Mao glanced around cautiously and hopped down from the wall onto the street. He trotted down a ways before turning the corner and seeing a sleek black car sitting in the center of the street. Mao raised an eyebrow as he saw Jeanne standing next to it, seemingly listening to the driver. Jeanne then glanced over to Mao, causing the cat to take a small step backwards. That is, until a bullet pierced Mao between the eyes. Jeanne lowered her handgun and tugged her sleeve down, hiding the snake-like tattoo on the back of her hand.<p>

Mao jerked slightly before he looked around him as he was still standing on the wall. He perked his ears up and faintly heard the sound of a car motor. Instead of jumping off the wall onto the street, Mao jumped into the tree on the opposite side, and silently crept along the branch till he could get a good view of the sleek black car. He eyed Jeanne who was indeed talking to the driver of the car. Mao saw Jeanne lift her sleeve a tad to show the driver the snake-like tattoo. Suddenly, Jeanne turned down the street and fired her gun. Mao froze and slowly shifted so he could see what she had shot. It was a black cat that had been crossing the street. Mao felt a shiver run through his body as he then understood what happened. Without a sound, Mao scaled down the tree to the base of the wall to listen in to the conversation Jeanne was having with the driver of the car.

"Thought it was that cat contractor." Mao heard Jeanne say calmly. The driver said nothing, or least didn't say something loudly enough for Mao to hear. The next thing Mao heard was the sound of a car door opening and the engine revving up. Quickly, Mao darted away from the wall, and jumped up onto it just in time to see the sleek black car drive away. Mao narrowed his eyes after it, his tail moving back and forth slowly.

"He was right."

* * *

><p>Mao rushed back to the rundown house, and stopped by the window when he smelled food being cooked inside. Skillfully, Mao slipped into the building through a small opening in the window before jumping to the floor, startling Huang. Mao glanced over to the kitchen area, and was surprised to see it was Laharl cooking and not Hei.<p>

"What took you so long?" Huang asked as Mao jumped up onto the couch and looked at Huang before glancing to Laharl.

"It's happened," Mao said, causing Laharl to pause his cooking to nod slowly. Huang looked confused before Laharl stepped away from the stove to sit next to Mao. Mao glanced to Laharl, pondering something. "Why were you cooking?"

"Obeisance," Laharl stated expressionlessly as water dripped from Mao's collar. The door to the room Yin was in opened, and Hei stepped out with Yin behind him. Laharl glanced over at Yin. "Find them?"

Yin gave a small nod while Mao and Huang both looked confused.

"Mind letting us in on what you're talking about? And where's that sister of yours?" Huang asked, and Laharl looked over at him with the dead look in his eyes. Laharl's expressionless face surprised Huang and Mao, as they had grown used to the smile.

"Jeanne was never here," Laharl stated. "That was a doll that resembled her. My real sister died about 13 years ago."

"What the hell?" Huang barked and Laharl ignored the outburst. Mao noticed the water on his collar and then eyed the stove before looking at Yin.

"I see, you used that woman's ability and put water on my collar so Yin could track us," Mao stated, making Laharl nod once. Mao smirked slightly and looked at Hei. "I take it you already knew?"

Hei said nothing as Huang angrily rose to his feet and grabbed Laharl by the collar. Laharl looked at Huang calmly as the older man seethed.

"Why didn't you tell us before that that... thing wasn't your sister?" Huang asked and tightened his grip.

"Because there was no point in telling," Laharl replied calmly, his dead eyes still staring at Huang. "Contractors are logical beings. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Except contractors have no friends. If I told you what she was, I wouldn't have been able to use her properly."

"Use her? That was your sister, wasn't it?" Huang spat bitterly despite the constant dead look from Laharl.

"No, that was just a doll created by my employer. Her only purpose was to keep tabs on me and what I did. Now it would be best to leave here soon," Laharl stated, and Huang's grip loosened in confusion.

"How come?"

"The doll has most likely told him where we are."

"Him?" Mao asked curiously.

"Izanami."

* * *

><p>The window pane burst apart in an explosion that sent debris flying. The rundown building shuddered and started falling apart faster as Huang and Mao ran out of the back door. They both glanced back to see Hei and Yin follow right behind them.<p>

"Where's the brat?" Huang asked and Hei motioned back to the building.

"We're going on ahead," he said calmly. Huang didn't argue as shouts rang out from the other side of the crumbling building. Hei grabbed Yin's hand and started running with Mao and Huang right behind. Huang grumbled in pain as he was still heavily injured.

"Just my luck..."

At the front of the building, three sleek black cars were parked with several suited men standing around them. Another window pane exploded, and a suited man fell down with a splat onto the ground, his head broken open. The other men looked up at the building to see a red welding-like line make a circle before the section fell from the building and onto the corpse on the ground. Laharl stared down at the suited men while he held a katana that was glowing bright blue. The men down on the ground all began glowing as well as their eyes glowed red. Laharl raised his empty hand to his face and flicked his nose. Several hand-prints glowed on the fallen section of the wall before it exploded, sending smoke and dust everywhere.

* * *

><p>Hei turned down an alleyway while still holding onto Yin's hand. Behind him Mao and Huang slowly followed, both tired or injured. Yin squeezed Hei's hand to make him look back at her.<p>

"Left," she said softly, and Hei veered left down another alleyway. "Right. Left. Left. Right."

Hei followed Yin's directions obediently until she squeezed his hand again for him to stop. Hei stared down the alleyway to the pitch black door at the end of the way. Slowly, Hei and Yin walked over to the door. Behind them, Mao and Huang never showed as they had probably gotten lost. Hei felt Yin squeeze his hand harder, and he turned his head to see her staring at the ground. Hei held Yin's hand tightly to comfort her before putting his free hand onto the black doorknob.

* * *

><p>The fish tank on the wall was the only source of light as its bulb emitted a soft blue glow into the dark room. Lying down on the couch in the center of the dark room was a boy dressed entirely in black. The boy's silver hair swayed in the breeze coming from the vent in the ceiling. His pale purple eyes cut through the darkness and stared at the ceiling silently.<p>

"They've finally come," he spoke softly and continued to stare at the ceiling without blinking. "No more mistakes. You will return to my side... Yin."


	9. Darkest Nights Hold the Brightest Stars

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. Reality caught me and tried to get me to come back. So I stabbed it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9- The Darkest Nights Hold the Brightest Stars<strong>

Birds chirped peacefully outside an open window that led into a quaint kitchen of a small house on the suburbs of a city outside Tokyo. At the counter in the kitchen, a girl stood by the cutting board, chopping vegetables while in the living room, the girl's aunt was watching the television. The girl poked her head in to look over at her aunt.

"Do we have any tomatoes left?" she asked, and the aunt said something, but the girl had become affixed to what was on the television and didn't hear. With a clatter, the girl dropped the knife she was using and rushed to the television. Her aunt jerked in surprise as the girl grabbed the television and put her face close to it.

"H-hey! It's not safe to put your face too close to the TV!" her aunt warned, but she didn't hear as she stared wide-eyed at a photo of a Tokyo street that was riddled with craters and broken walls. The girl wasn't staring at the craters or walls though. Her gaze was straight to the broken mask that lay among the rubble.

"That's Hei-san's mask...!" The girl said as a little girl stepped into the living room with a bad case of bed hair. The aunt pulled the girl away from the television with slight difficulty. When the girl had been pulled away, she immediately jumped and ran for the door, shocking her aunt. The little girl, busy flattening her hair, ran after the girl while the aunt stared after them with her mouth hanging open.

"Kana! Kanon! Get back here!"

* * *

><p>Back in Tokyo, the sound of sirens could be faintly heard by everyone but the two girls that were stomping down the street angrily.<p>

"That director was awful! I've seen better anime made by..." Kiko ranted as she and her girl shared the same grimace. The two rounded the corner and stopped when they saw the several craters and broken walls.

"Wha-What happened here?" Kiko's friend asked in surprise.

"Maybe they're making a movie!" Kiko said happily. The two looked happy again until someone landed in front of them. Kiko and her friend jolted in surprise, but Laharl didn't care as he grabbed Kiko's friend by the wrist and kissed her hard on the lips. Kiko's friend went wide-eyed and flailed her arms around frantically as Kiko stared in utter shock. After a few seconds, Laharl stopped and furiously rubbed his mouth.

"Stupid price," he grumbled before running past Kiko and her now collapsed from embarrassment friend. Kiko slowly turned her head after Laharl, still trying to sort out what had just happened. Laharl turned the corner and quickly rushed down the street, ignoring the people coming out to see what was going on. Laharl reached a fence and expertly pulled himself over it. He hit the ground and rolled to lessen the impact.

Laharl kicked off the ground and continued to run until he was forced to duck as a bullet barely missed his head. The sudden duck made Laharl stumble and roll painfully off the edge of a drop. He landed roughly on the cement of a train station before looking up to see his attacker.

"About time that old hag sent you," Laharl murmured as he stared up at Jeanne with her gun pointed at him. She said nothing before pulling the trigger. Laharl dove behind a pillar and ran for it as Jeanne reloaded her gun and ran after him. Laharl ran towards a crowd of people awaiting the next train that was approaching. Laharl glanced to the train and made a sharp turn towards the train rails. Jeanne watched Laharl jumped from the platform and smash through one of the train windows as it pulled into the station. The people were obviously shocked both outside and inside the train.

Laharl ignored them all and looked back out of the broken window to see Jeanne ready her gun towards him. Laharl gritted his teeth before pushing off the floor and running down the train, pushing the train workers away when they tried to catch him. A single gunshot from Jeanne was enough to make the workers and people dive for cover. Laharl ran down the train hallway until one door slid open slowly. Laharl took the chance and dove into the apartment before closing the door. Jeanne ran down the hallway and past the apartment Laharl had dove into. Inside the apartment, Laharl kept an ear to the door till he was sure Jeanne had left. He then looked to the two girls in the apartment.

Before he said anything, Laharl noticed something that had fallen from the older girl's bag when he burst into their apartment. Picking it up, ignoring the older girl's shouts, Laharl slammed the door open and jumped through the window across from it. Jeanne turned and ran from the new broken window. She left through the window too, but just as her feet hit the ground and she straightened up, a dagger identical to Hei's pierced her throat and the train. Jeanne looked down at the dagger and the blood flowing down her neck. Laharl stepped towards her and knocked the gun out of her hand when she raised it at him.

"Sayonara, doll," Laharl said coldly as he torn the dagger out of Jeanne's neck. Laharl watched Jeanne fall to the ground that was soon covered in her blood. Taking the time to properly clean the dagger, Laharl hummed softly while Jeanne's blood had reached his shoes. When he finished cleaning the dagger, Laharl spun it so it went into the train and into the door of the apartment. "Thanks for lending me it."

Laharl jumped up onto the platform and took just as the police arrived. Inside the train, the older girl removed the dagger from the wall and stowed it away in her bag.

"Kana, you okay?" the little girl asked and Kana smiled reassuringly.

"I'm fine. Let's go find Hei-san."

* * *

><p>Huang panted for breath as he and Mao stopped in the alleyway. Mao glanced back at Huang and then looked down the alley.<p>

"We should find transportation away from here," he stated and Huang nodded in agreement while clutching at her hurting shoulder. The two perked up when shouts and screams rang out. The two looked down the way they had run down before a giant chunk of the ground and surrounding walls was engulfed by an orb of pitch darkness. The orb shrunk and smashed into the ground as Laharl stepped out while chewing on something.

"Yo," he said calmly, despite the destruction he caused and the blood splattered all over his face and clothes. Huang retched as he looked at Laharl. Laharl wiped the blood off his face and spat the gum out of his mouth. Mao's ear twitched as he heard more people approaching.

"We'd best hurry up!" he said and Laharl nodded before noticing the lack of Hei and Yin.

"Where'd the two go?"

"Yin suddenly ran off ahead and Hei followed," Huang stated and cast a disgusted look at Laharl's clothes. Laharl pondered something before closing his eyes.

"Okay, you two get away. I'll catch up with them."

"How are you going to do that? We don't even know which way they we-" Huang started to say until Laharl's eyes glowed red and his skin emitted a bright blue glow. His body then disappeared, leaving his clothes to fall onto the ground. Huang and Mao stared in confusion before they both heard the people coming. The two dove down an alleyway and hid in the shadows.

* * *

><p>Hei silently crept along the dark hallway, keeping a firm hold on Yin's hand as she walked behind him. Hei reached a door and reached for the knob until the door burst off its hinges and smashed against the wall along with a naked man. Hei stared in confusion at the naked man until he heard a familiar sigh.<p>

"Man, this guy is three sizes larger than me," Hei glanced into the room to see a blue glow that slowly died down. Laharl stood among the fallen bodies of several suited men. Laharl adjusted the sleeves of his newly "acquired" suit before noticing Hei. "Oh good, I did teleport to the right building."

"What are you doing here?" Hei asked sternly, and Laharl waved him off, his usual condescending smirk back on his face. Hei felt Yin squeeze his hand and he turned to see her pointing down the hallway.

"More are coming," she whispered. Hei nodded and pulled Yin into the room, and was about to close the door behind them until he realized Laharl had broken it off. Giving Laharl a dark glare, Hei pressed Yin against the wall beside the doorway while Laharl remained in the center with blood covering the floor around him. More suited men rushed into the room and Laharl waved to them until Hei slammed his hand down into the blood, both Yin and Laharl safely standing out of the blood. The suited men spasmed and collapsed while Hei straightened up.

"Which way?" he asked Yin who was silent for a moment before pointing the wall behind Laharl.

"Three rooms down that way. There's an aquarium in the room," she said calmly. Hei looked at Laharl who was flexing his fingers before holding his hand up towards the wall. He placed his hands all over the wall and stepped back before flicking his nose. The wall exploded as Laharl took a carton of milk out of the fridge in the corner of the room, as they were in the break room. Hei grabbed the milk carton from Laharl's raised hand and gave it a quick jolt of electricity to heat it up. Laharl downed the hot milk and tossed the carton away. He then fished around for two more cartons before the three entered the next room and repeated the same process with that wall. After the last wall was destroyed, Laharl threw the last empty carton into the pitch black room that was lit by the fish tank in the wall. Hei glanced around, but saw nobody in the room.

"Yin-"

"Below," Yin spoke and Hei glanced down at the floor. Laharl perked up at the shouts coming from the hallway.

"You two go. I want to play some more," Laharl said and happily jump-kicked the door off its hinges and into the waiting suit men. Hei grabbed Yin's hand again and tapped his foot on the floor till he heard a hollow sound. With a rough stomp, Hei smashed the trapdoor. Hei picked up Yin and jumped down the trapdoor with her in his arms. Landing on the floor, that was covered by a thin layer of water, Hei's eyes twitched from the sudden flash of light from the ceiling lights.

"Welcome." Hei flinched as he heard the voice. He then put Yin down on the floor and stood in front of her, blocking her from sight. The person across from Hei seemed to frown as he stared coldly at him. "Thank you for returning Yin, Hei."

"I'll kill you."

"Is that how you start all conversations?" Izanami asked calmly, as Hei whipped his dagger out of his coat and flung it at Izanami's head. Before the knife reached, it shattered into pieces. Hei perked up as Izanami's eyes had faintly glowed blue. "At first, I was wondering why you would abandon your wish, Yin."

Hei took a step back as Izanami took a step forward. Izanami stared at Hei, or rather through him to Yin.

"Wasn't your wish in the Gate that this human be safe from harm?" Hei's eyes widened as behind him, Yin looked down at the floor. Izanami kept his stare directed at Hei. "It was a bother. This man I hate, yet I wasn't able to kill him because of your wish. But now I can because you left the Gate. I wonder if you knew this would happen."

Hei cast a slight glance behind him at Yin who didn't respond. Hei glared back at Izanami and was about to use his electricity until Izanami raised a finger.

"I wouldn't if I were you. Unless you want to kill Yin again." Hei immediately stopped his power, much to the satisfaction of Izanami. "Now then, hand Yin back to me and I won't kill you. Think, contractor. Would you rather die fruitlessly or live?"

Hei was silent for a moment, making Yin raise her head slightly to look at Hei. Hei reached into his coat and took out his next dagger.

"I won't die and won't hand Yin over to you again." Hei said before rushing towards Izanami with his dagger ready. Izanami narrowed his eyes as Hei approached.

"Idiot."


End file.
